Schools
Hornets, New Head Coach Look Toward New Season
Roswell will have to find replacements for 14 starters in order to equal or improve on a 7-5 record last year and a trip to the Class AAAAA state playoffs.
In his first year as head coach of the Roswell Hornets, Justin Sanderson will have the monumental task of rebuilding an offense that returns only two starters on offense and five on defense.
Sanderson, an assistant coach, who was promoted in the offseason said, the goal this year is, "to consistently improve week by week and play the game with passion and controlled intensity."
The team's top priority will be to find a starting quarterback. The new head coach said senior Casey Culver and junior Ryan Monty were locked in a spirited battle for the top spot during spring practice but neither emerged as a clear cut starter so the competition will continue throughout the dog days of late summer.
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The only returning starters on offense are lineman Alex Porter (6-2, 255), who Sanderson calls, "a great leader and very experienced" and tailback Andrew Kwateng (5-7, 180), an all Region 6-AAAAA player who averaged nearly five yards a carry last year. He will undoubtedly be relied on to carry the load while the Hornets break in the new QB.
Offensive linemen who are expected to see plenty of action this fall include Chris Bryant, Kevin Austin, Zach Adams and Hunter Hill. There is also a battle being waged for the starting wide receiver positions between Bennett Barton, John Albert, Demetrick Sodo and Davis Turnbull. Barton had 18 catches last year for 212 yards.
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Among the top defenders returning are All Region 6-AAAAA standouts Joe Bartlett (6-2,185), Zach Allen (5-10, 175) and Connor Slewitski.
The Hornets also have high expectations for linebacker Jarrell Joseph, who was injured last season and Corey Ciepiella, who is a transfer from Gainesville High School.
Roswell was 7-5 last year in a very rugged Region 6-AAAAA. Improvement on that record won't be easy, especially with a new head coach and a host of new starters.
But Sanderson tells his players to "focus on the process of knowing your role, doing your job and playing harder than the opposition. If you do those things and execute properly, the winning should take care of itself."
